AMERICAN LEAGUE : Former Hog Lee runs record to 6-0

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/225093/

NEW YORK — Cliff Lee, the former Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher from Benton, knows he probably won’t win all of his starts this season. That doesn’t mean he isn’t going to try.

Lee threw seven sharp innings Wednesday night to beat Chien-Ming Wang in a matchup of unbeaten starters, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-0 victory over the New York Yankees.

“I’ve got to focus on this next outing and if I do that and continue to do that, things should go the way they have gone,” Lee said. “Obviously I can’t expect to put up zeros every single time, but it’s my job to put up as many as I can and get deep into the game and give the team a chance to win.

“ I’ve done that so far and hopefully it continues.”

Lee became the first Indians pitcher to win his first six starts since Greg Swindell in 1988 and lowered his major league-best ERA to 0. 81. The left-hander has allowed just four earned runs in 2 44 / 3 innings after a rough 2007 that included a stint in the minors.

“Cliff is in the groove right now,” Indians Manager Eric Wedge said.

Wang (6-1 ) allowed 3 runs and 5 hits in 7 innings for the Yankees, who dropped to 3-5 on their ninegame homestand. Hideki Matsui singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, matching a career high.

New York is 27-8 in 35 career starts by Wang after a Yankees loss, ending an 11-game winning streak in those games. He fell to 22-7 in those starts.

“A lot of nights that’s good enough,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said. “He gave us seven good innings. Unfortunately we couldn’t score any runs for him.”

Victor Martinez had a sacrifice fly in the first inning, Casey Blake singled in a run in the fourth and David Dellucci added an RBI single in the fifth. Dellucci was booed before each of his at-bats after his pinch-hit three-run home run off Joba Chamberlain lifted Cleveland to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night.

“That’s two straight days our offense has been pitiful,” said Johnny Damon, who is 0 for 9 in the past two games.

The Indians have won the first two of the three-game set to secure their first winning series at Yankee Stadium since June 2001. They improved to 4-2 against New York this season, clinching their first season series victory since they went 7-6 against the Yankees in 1992.

Paul Byrd will oppose New York’s Mike Mussina today as Cleveland goes for its first sweep of three games or more in the Bronx since April 1989, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Lee set it up with another impressive performance, allowing just six hits and striking out seven. He hasn’t walked a batter in his past 28 innings.

Rafael Perez worked the eighth and Rafael Betancourt got three outs for his fourth save, finishing off the seven-hitter.

The matchup between Wang and Lee was the first between two pitchers with at least a 5-0 record since Oakland’s Dave Stewart faced Swindell on May 8, 1988, according to Elias. Stewart moved to 8-0 with a four-hitter, beating Swindell and Cleveland 5-1.

Lee will go for his seventh consecutive victory to open the season Monday against Toronto. His fast start would’ve been hard to predict a year ago, when he began the season on the disabled list, spent some time at Class AAA Buffalo and was left off Cleveland’s playoff roster.

“Mainly just locating my fastball a little better,” Lee said about the difference this year. “Working ahead in the count, staying out of hitter’s counts, 2-0, 3-1, trying to stay ahead in the count. Obviously, locating my fastball is the key.”